The present invention is directed to communication systems having a capability to recognize calling parties and automatically display location or other information regarding the calling party to inform the called party. The present invention is especially directed to public safety telephone systems, such as 911 systems, that automatically display calling party location information to a called party at a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).
With presently existing public safety telephone systems (e.g., 911 systems), when a call is received at a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) such as a police or fire department facility, the telephone number of the calling party is employed to retrieve Automatic Location Information (ALI) in the form of an ALI record from a data base provider. Data base providers are usually local telephone service providers. Sometimes the information in the ALI database does not match information provided verbally by the calling party to the PSAP operator. Presently when this discrepancy occurs, the PSAP operator must fill in an off-line form, such as a paper form, and send it (e.g., via facsimile or mail) to the data base provider in order that the data base provider may update, or correct, its data base information.
There is a need for a simpler procedure for updating Automatic Location Information (ALI) data base information when discrepancies in ALI records are discovered.
A system for electronic correction and notification of discrepancies relating to automatic location identification information in a telephone environment comprises at least one initiating means for at least one system operator to engage the system; a correction entry means for entering corrected information; and a dissemination means for disseminating the corrected information to predetermined recipients. The at least one initiating means is connected with the telephone environment at at least one operator location. The at least one operator location has access to stored location identification information. The correction entry means is connected with the at least one initiating means and includes at least one information entry means at the at least one operator location. The correction entry means responds to an initiation signal from the at least one initiation means to operate to receive correction information from the at least one information entry means. The correction information is applied to update the stored location information at the at least one operator location. The dissemination means is connected with at least one of the at least one initiating means and the correction entry means. The dissemination means receives the correction information and disseminates the correction information to predetermined recipients.
The method for electronic correction and notification of discrepancies relating to automatic location identification information in a telephone environment comprises the steps of: (a) receiving a call from a telephone user in a service employing the automatic location identification information; (b) providing the automatic location identification information pertinent to the user in a display associated with a computing device as displayed pertinent location identification information; and (c) an operator conferring with the user to verify accuracy of the displayed pertinent location identification information. The method preferably continues with the steps of: (d) if discrepancies are identified in the displayed pertinent location identification information, the operator engaging a correction entry display associated with the computing device; (e) the operator entering correcting information in the correction entry display; (f) correcting the discrepancies using the correcting information; and (g) disseminating notice of the correcting to predetermined recipients.
The system and method of the present invention significantly simplify the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) operator""s actions required to implement correcting updates to Automatic Location Information (ALI) records.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for correction and notification of discrepancies relating to automatic location identification information in a telephone environment which is simpler to implement than presently existing systems or methods.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and method for correction and notification of discrepancies relating to automatic location identification information in a telephone environment which is implemented on -line with a related computing device.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a system and method for correction and notification of discrepancies relating to automatic location identification information; in a telephone environment which effects automatic notification of information changes to predetermined recipients.
Further objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are labeled using like reference numerals in the various figures, illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention.